East Coast storm halts flights, shutters cities, ports

By Catie Fry |Thursday, February 13, 2014

A massive snow storm slammed much of the East Coast Wednesday and Thursday, shutting down entire cities, transportation systems and governments, as well as ports.
According to the National Weather Service, winter storm warnings were in place Thursday morning from Georgia up to Maine.
Up to 18 inches of snow is predicted in areas in the East and New England, according to The Weather Channel’s website.
The District of Columbia government was declared closed on Thursday, as well as schools, airport runways and the bus system in Washington, D.C., and in several other cities, including Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said via Twitter that all container ports were closed Thursday morning. Hours at the port on Friday are still pending.
More than 5,000 domestic and international flights were canceled Thursday morning, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com.
On its website, American Airlines listed 48 destinations in the Northeast and Southeast where passengers should expect delays Thursday and Friday.
Similarly, Delta listed 16 destinations where incoming or outgoing flights will likely be impacted through Friday.
In an alert posted on its website Thursday, FedEx warned of service delays and disruptions due to the storm expected in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The United States Postal Service also issued a notice Thursday morning, saying service was currently being impacted in Georgia.
“Further delays are anticipated in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The Postal Service will make every attempt to provide service where it is safe to do so,” the notice said.
In addition, a scramble for snow salt has ensued in New Jersey, with cities running low on supplies due to several bad weather systems already this year.